Biblical Concept: Compassion
Prologue:
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of
turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy
compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou
forever will be.
Findings:
Divine desire to be compassionate.
Human volition and Divine compassion relationship.
Fear God compassion relationship.
Sin, confession, improvement, compassion relationship.
Negative volition toward God, sin, and compassion withdrawn.
Divine compassion request.
Human compassion.
Divine requirement of compassion.
Compassion for the spiritual needy.
Compassion
NAS Genesis 19:16 But he
hesitated. So the men seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of
his two daughters, for the compassion of the LORD was upon him; and they
brought him out, and put him outside the city. (Human volition and Divine
compassion relationship.)
NAS Genesis 43:14 and
may God Almighty grant you compassion in the sight of the man, that he may
release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved
of my children, I am bereaved." (Human volition and Divine compassion
relationship.)
NAS Exodus 33:19 And He
said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will
proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will
be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion."
(Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Deuteronomy 13:17
"And nothing from that which is put under the ban shall cling to your
hand, in order that the LORD may turn from His burning anger and show mercy to
you, and have compassion on you and make you increase, just as He has sworn to
your fathers, (Human volition and Divine compassion relationship.)
NAS Deuteronomy 30:3
then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on
you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has
scattered you. (Human volition and Divine compassion relationship.)
NAS Deuteronomy 32:36
"For the LORD will vindicate His people, And will have compassion on His
servants; When He sees that their strength is gone, And there is none remaining,
bond or free. (Human volition and Divine compassion relationship.)
NAS 1 Samuel 23:21 And
Saul said, "May you be blessed of the LORD; for you have had compassion on
me. (Human compassion.)
NAS 2 Samuel 12:6
"And he must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this
thing and had no compassion." (Human compassion.)
NAS 1 Kings 8:50 and
forgive Thy people who have sinned against Thee and all their transgressions
which they have transgressed against Thee, and make them objects of compassion
before those who have taken them captive, that they may have compassion on them
. . . (Divine compassion request.)
NAS 2 Kings 13:23 But
the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion on them and turned to them
because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy
them or cast them from His presence until now. (Human volition and Divine
compassion relationship.)
NAS 2 Chronicles 30:9
"For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your sons will find compassion
before those who led them captive, and will return to this land. For the LORD
your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away
from you if you return to Him." (Human volition and Divine compassion
relationship.)
NAS 2 Chronicles 36:15
And the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and
again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His
dwelling place; (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
17 Therefore He
brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans who slew their young men with
the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man
or virgin, old man or infirm; He gave them all into his hand. (Human
volition and Divine compassion relationship.)
NAS Nehemiah 1:11
"O Lord, I beseech Thee, may Thine ear be
attentive to the prayer of Thy servant and the prayer of Thy servants who
delight to revere Thy name, and make Thy servant successful today, and grant
him compassion before this man." Now I was the cupbearer to the king. (Divine
compassion request.)
NAS Nehemiah 9:19 Thou,
in Thy great compassion, Didst not forsake them in the wilderness; The pillar
of cloud did not leave them by day, To guide them on their way, Nor the pillar
of fire by night, to light for them the way in which they were to go. (Divine
desire to be compassionate.) (Human
volition and Divine compassion relationship.)
27 "Therefore
Thou didst deliver them into the hand of their oppressors who oppressed them,
But when they cried to Thee in the time of their distress, Thou didst hear from
heaven, and according to Thy great compassion Thou didst give them deliverers
who delivered them from the hand of their oppressors. (Divine desire to be
compassionate.) (Human volition and Divine compassion relationship.) (Divine
compassion request.)
28 "But as soon
as they had rest, they did evil again before Thee; Therefore Thou didst abandon
them to the hand of their enemies, so that they ruled over them. When they
cried again to Thee, Thou didst hear from heaven, And many times Thou didst
rescue them according to Thy compassion, (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
(Human volition and Divine compassion relationship.)
31 "Nevertheless,
in Thy great compassion Thou didst not make an end of them or forsake them, For
Thou art a gracious and compassionate God. (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Nehemiah 13:22 And I
commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come as
gatekeepers to sanctify the sabbath day. For this
also remember me, O my God, and have compassion on me according to the
greatness of Thy lovingkindness. (Divine compassion
request.)
NAS Job 8:5 "If you
would seek God And implore the compassion of the Almighty, (Divine compassion
request.)
NAS Psalm 25:6 Remember,
O LORD, Thy compassion and Thy lovingkindnesses, For
they have been from of old. (Divine compassion request.)
NAS Psalm 40:11 Thou, O
LORD, wilt not withhold Thy compassion from me; Thy lovingkindness
and Thy truth will continually preserve me.
(Divine compassion request.)
NAS Psalm 51:1 For
the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him,
after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Be gracious to me, O God, according to
Thy lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Thy
compassion blot out my transgressions. (Divine
compassion request.)
NAS Psalm 69:16 Answer
me, O LORD, for Thy lovingkindness is good; According
to the greatness of Thy compassion, turn to me,
(Divine compassion request.)
NAS Psalm 72:13 He will
have compassion on the poor and needy, And the lives of the needy he will save.
(Divine desire to be compassionate.) (Human volition and Divine compassion
relationship.)
NAS Psalm 77:9 Has God
forgotten to be gracious? Or has He in anger
withdrawn His compassion? Selah. (Divine compassion request.)
NAS Psalm 79:8 Do not
remember the iniquities of our forefathers against us; Let Thy
compassion come quickly to meet us; For we are brought very low. (Divine
compassion request.)
NAS Psalm 102:13 Thou
wilt arise and have compassion on Zion; For it is time to be gracious to
her, For the appointed time has come. (Divine compassion request.)
NAS Psalm 103:4 Who
redeems your life from the pit; Who crowns you with lovingkindness
and compassion; (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
13 Just as a father
has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who
fear Him. (Fear God compassion relationship.)
NAS Psalm 106:46 He also
made them objects of compassion In the presence of all their captors.
(Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Psalm 119:77 May Thy
compassion come to me that I may live, For Thy law is my delight. (Divine
compassion request.)
NAS Psalm 135:14 For the
LORD will judge His people, And will have compassion on His servants. (Divine
compassion request.)
NAS Proverbs 12:10 A
righteous man has regard for the life of his beast, But the compassion of the
wicked is cruel. (Human compassion.)
NAS Proverbs 28:13 He
who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and
forsakes them will find compassion.
(Sin, confession, improvement, compassion relationship.)
NAS Isaiah 13:18 And their
bows will mow down the young men, They will not even have compassion on the
fruit of the womb, Nor will their eye pity children. (Human compassion.)
NAS Isaiah 14:1 When the
LORD will have compassion on Jacob, and again choose Israel, and settle them in
their own land, then strangers will join them and attach themselves to the
house of Jacob. (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Isaiah 27:11 When
its limbs are dry, they are broken off; Women come and make a fire with
them. For they are not a people of discernment, Therefore their Maker will not
have compassion on them. And their Creator will not be gracious to them. (Human
volition and Divine compassion relationship.)
NAS Isaiah 30:18
Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high
to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are
all those who long for Him. (Divine desire to be compassionate.) (Human volition and Divine compassion
relationship.)
NAS Isaiah 49:10
"They will not hunger or thirst, Neither will the scorching heat or sun
strike them down; For He who has compassion on them will lead them, And will
guide them to springs of water. (Divine desire to be compassionate.) (Human volition and Divine compassion
relationship.)
13 Shout for joy, O
heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains!
For the LORD has comforted His people, And will have compassion on His
afflicted. (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
15 "Can a woman
forget her nursing child, And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even
these may forget, but I will not forget you. (Divine desire to be
compassionate.)
NAS Isaiah 54:7
"For a brief moment I forsook you, But with great compassion I will gather
you. (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
8 "In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment; But
with everlasting lovingkindness I will have
compassion on you," Says the LORD your Redeemer. (Divine desire to be
compassionate.)
10 "For the
mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My lovingkindness
will not be removed from you, And My covenant of peace will not be
shaken," Says the LORD who has compassion on you. (Divine desire to be
compassionate.)
NAS Isaiah 55:7 Let the
wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him
return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him; And to our God, For He
will abundantly pardon. (Divine desire to be compassionate.) (Sin, confession,
improvement, compassion relationship.)
NAS Isaiah 60:10
"And foreigners will build up your walls, And their kings will minister to
you; For in My wrath I struck you, And in My favor I have had compassion on
you. (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Isaiah 63:7 I shall
make mention of the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, the
praises of the LORD, According to all that the LORD has granted us, And the
great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has granted them according
to His compassion, And according to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses.
(Divine desire to be compassionate.)
15 Look down from
heaven, and see from Thy holy and glorious habitation; Where are Thy zeal and
Thy mighty deeds? The stirrings of Thy heart and Thy compassion are restrained
toward me. (Divine compassion request.)
NAS Jeremiah 12:15
"And it will come about that after I have uprooted them, I will again have
compassion on them; and I will bring them back, each one to his inheritance and
each one to his land. (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Jeremiah 13:14
"And I will dash them against each other, both the fathers and the sons
together," declares the LORD. "I will not show pity nor be sorry nor
have compassion that I should not destroy them."'" (Negative volition
toward God, sin, and compassion withdrawn.)
NAS Jeremiah 16:5 For
thus says the LORD, "Do not enter a house of mourning, or go to lament or
to console them; for I have withdrawn My peace from this people," declares
the LORD, "My lovingkindness and
compassion. (Negative volition toward
God, sin, and compassion withdrawn.)
NAS Jeremiah 21:7
"Then afterwards," declares the LORD, "I shall give over
Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people, even those who survive
in this city from the pestilence, the sword, and the famine, into the hand of
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their foes, and into the
hand of those who seek their lives; and he will strike them down with the edge
of the sword. He will not spare them nor have pity nor compassion."'
(Negative volition toward God, sin, and compassion withdrawn.)
NAS Jeremiah 30:18
"Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of
Jacob And have compassion on his dwelling places; And the city shall be rebuilt
on its ruin, And the palace shall stand on its rightful place. (Divine desire
to be compassionate.)
NAS Jeremiah 42:12 'I
will also show you compassion, so that he will have compassion on you and
restore you to your own soil. (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Lamentations 3:32
For if He causes grief, Then He will have compassion According to His abundant lovingkindness. (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Ezekiel 16:5
"No eye looked with pity on you to do any of these things for you, to have
compassion on you. Rather you were thrown out into the open field, for you were
abhorred on the day you were born. (Human volition and Divine compassion
relationship.)
NAS Daniel 1:9 Now God
granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the
officials, (Human volition and Divine compassion relationship. See the situation.)
NAS Daniel 2:18 in order
that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this
mystery, so that Daniel and his friends might not be destroyed with the rest of
the wise men of Babylon. (Divine compassion request.)
NAS Daniel 9:9 "To
the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled
against Him; (Divine compassion request.)
18 "O my God,
incline Thine ear and hear! Open Thine
eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Thy name; for we
are not presenting our supplications before Thee on account of any merits of
our own, but on account of Thy great compassion. (Divine compassion request.)
NAS Hosea 1:6 Then she
conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. And the LORD said to him,
"Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer have
compassion on the house of Israel, that I should ever forgive them. (Negative
volition toward God, sin, and compassion withdrawn.)
7 "But I will
have compassion on the house of Judah and deliver them by the LORD their God,
and will not deliver them by bow, sword, battle, horses, or horsemen."
(Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Hosea 2:4
"Also, I will have no compassion on her children, Because they are
children of harlotry. (Negative volition toward God, sin, and compassion
withdrawn.)
19 "And I will
betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and
in justice, In lovingkindness and in compassion,
(Divine desire to be compassionate.)
23 "And I will sow her for Myself in the land. I will also have compassion
on her who had not obtained compassion, And I will say to those who were not My
people, 'You are My people!' And they will say, 'Thou art my God!'"
(Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Hosea 13:14 Shall I
ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem
them from death? O Death, where are your thorns? O Sheol,
where is your sting? Compassion will be hidden from My sight. (Negative
volition toward God, sin, and compassion withdrawn.)
NAS Amos 1:11 Thus says
the LORD, "For three transgressions of Edom and for four I will not revoke
its punishment, Because he pursued his brother with the sword, While he
stifled his compassion; His anger also tore continually, And he maintained his
fury forever. (Human compassion.)
NAS Jonah 4:10 Then the
LORD said, "You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work,
and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and
perished overnight. (Human compassion.)
11 "And should I
not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than
120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and
left hand, as well as many animals?" (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Micah 7:19 He will
again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, Thou
wilt cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea. (Divine desire to be
compassionate.)
NAS Zechariah 1:12 Then
the angel of the LORD answered and said, "O LORD of hosts, how long wilt
Thou have no compassion for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which Thou
hast been indignant these seventy years?" (Negative volition toward God,
sin, and compassion withdrawn.)
16 'Therefore, thus
says the LORD, "I will return to Jerusalem with compassion; My house will
be built in it," declares the LORD of hosts, "and a measuring line
will be stretched over Jerusalem."' (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Zechariah 7:9
"Thus has the LORD of hosts said, 'Dispense true justice, and practice
kindness and compassion each to his brother; (Divine requirement of
compassion.)
NAS Zechariah 10:6
"And I shall strengthen the house of Judah, And I shall save the house of
Joseph, And I shall bring them back, Because I have had compassion on them; And
they will be as though I had not rejected them, For I am the LORD their God,
and I will answer them. (Divine desire
to be compassionate.)
NAS Matthew 9:13
"But go and learn what this means, 'I desire compassion, and not
sacrifice,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
(Divine requirement of compassion.)
36 And seeing the
multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and
downcast like sheep without a shepherd. (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Matthew 12:7
"But if you had known what this means, 'I desire compassion, and not a
sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. (Divine requirement of
compassion.)
NAS Matthew 14:14 And
when He went ashore, He saw a great multitude, and felt compassion for them,
and healed their sick. (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Matthew 15:32 And
Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, "I feel compassion for the
multitude, because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing
to eat; and I do not wish to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the
way." (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Matthew 18:27
"And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave
him the debt. (Human compassion.)
NAS Matthew 20:34 And
moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained
their sight and followed Him. (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Mark 1:41 And moved
with compassion, He stretched out His hand, and touched him, and said to him,
"I am willing; be cleansed." (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Mark 6:34 And when
He went ashore, He saw a great multitude, and He felt compassion for them
because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them
many things. (Divine desire to be compassionate.) (Compassion for the spiritual
needy.)
NAS Mark 8:2 "I
feel compassion for the multitude because they have remained with Me now three
days, and have nothing to eat; (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Luke 7:13 And when
the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, "Do not
weep." (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Luke 10:33 "But
a certain Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him,
he felt compassion, (Human compassion.)
NAS Luke 15:20 "And
he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his
father saw him, and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him,
and kissed him. (Human compassion.)
NAS Romans 9:15 For He
says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have
compassion on whom I have compassion." (Divine desire to be
compassionate.)
NAS Philippians 2:1 If
therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of
love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and
compassion, (Divine requirement of
compassion.)
NAS Colossians 3:12 And
so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; (Divine requirement of
compassion.)
NAS James 5:11 Behold,
we count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and
have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of
compassion and is merciful. (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
Compassionate
NAS Exodus 34:6 Then the
LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God,
compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness
and truth; (Divine desire to be
compassionate.)
NAS Deuteronomy 4:31
"For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor
destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.
(Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS 2 Chronicles 30:9
"For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your sons will find compassion
before those who led them captive, and will return to this land. For the LORD
your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away
from you if you return to Him." (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Nehemiah 9:17
"And they refused to listen, And did not remember Thy wondrous deeds which
Thou hadst performed among them; So they became
stubborn and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But Thou
art a God of forgiveness, Gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, and
abounding in lovingkindness; And Thou didst not
forsake them. (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
31 "Nevertheless,
in Thy great compassion Thou didst not make an end of them or forsake them, For
Thou art a gracious and compassionate God. (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Psalm 78:38 But He,
being compassionate, forgave their iniquity, and did not destroy them;
And often He restrained His anger, And did not arouse all His wrath. (Divine
desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Psalm 103:8 The LORD
is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Psalm 111:4 He has
made His wonders to be remembered; The LORD is gracious and compassionate.
(Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Psalm 112:4 Light
arises in the darkness for the upright; He is gracious and compassionate
and righteous. (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Psalm 116:5 Gracious
is the LORD, and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate. (Divine desire to be
compassionate.)
NAS Lamentations 4:10
The hands of compassionate women Boiled their own children; They became food
for them Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people. (Human
compassion.)
NAS Joel 2:13 And rend
your heart and not your garments." Now return to the LORD your God, For He
is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness,
And relenting of evil. (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Jonah 4:2 And he
prayed to the LORD and said, "Please LORD, was not this what I said while
I was still in my own country? Therefore, in order to forestall this I
fled to Tarshish, for I knew that Thou art a gracious
and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness,
and one who relents concerning calamity. (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
Compassions
NAS Lamentations 3:22
The LORD's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For
His compassions never fail. (Divine desire to be compassionate.)
NAS Hosea 11:8 How can I
give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I make you
like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned over within Me, All My
compassions are kindled. (Divine desire to be compassionate.)